Bunnahabhain will always be dear to me, mainly because I still vividly remember my first bottle of their excellent 18 year old. There have always been plenty of independent bottlings from this distillery as well, giving us the chance to taste Bunnahabhain at a plethora of different stages during its maturation. Today I review a rather young one from Càrn Mòr, matured in an ex-sherry cask.
Bunnahabhain 2001/2012 (46%, Càrn Mòr, 809 bts.)
Nose: A light and subtle sherry influence. We have dates, apricots and raisins. It’s pretty buttery. And there’s plenty of vanilla as well, accompanied by red apples.
Taste: The mouthfeel is a bit thin, but the flavours are richer than I expected. Fairly sweet sherry (cherry syrup, plum jam), but also some spices, mainly black pepper and cloves.
Finish: Fruity, mellow and medium in length.
Rating: 82
Pretty much delivers what you might expect from a young-ish and sherried Bunnahabhain.
Photo: Whiskybase